1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disposable diaper, which is disposed after use.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional disposable diaper, a spread out type disposable diaper is designed with a hip portion to cover a wearer""s hip and a belly portion to cover the wearer""s belly. In this spread out type disposable diaper, the hip portion and the belly portion are spread apart and they are composed attachably/detachably. The spread out type disposable diaper comprises a sheet-shaped diaper body, which encloses an absorbent polymer or the like therein. When the wearer uses this diaper, the sheet-shaped diaper body is formed as a stereoscopic shape so that the diaper obtains a pants-like shape. In the spread out type disposable diaper, the diaper body is composed of the hip portion, a crotch portion and the belly portion provided integrally and continuously. At the both sides of the hip portion, adhesive tapes are disposed to extend to the outside. The adhesive tapes are held in tentative attaching portions made of a film or the like, which are provided on the hip portion before assembling the diaper. When the diaper is put on, the adhesive tapes are secured to the belly portion.
As for conventional disposable diapers, a pants-shaped diaper has been used. This pants-shaped disposable diaper is designed such that the wearer can put it on, as the wearer is standing. The wearer inserts his legs into leg-through holes from the inside to the outside of the diaper for each leg and the diaper can be pulled up to the wearer""s waist, as if the wearer puts a pants on.
The conventional spread out type disposable diaper, which is provided with a hook shaped connecting member, is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2525779. This disposable diaper is provided with a first fastener member with a plate shape inside of both sides of a hip portion. This first fastener member is folded back toward the inside of the hip portion. Further, being opposed to the first fastener member at the sides of an outside of a belly portion, a second fastener member of a plate shape is provided. This second fastener member is folded back toward the front side of the belly portion. In the first fastener member and the second fastener member, the respective folded portions extend away from a disposable diaper body, the respective medium portions curve toward the surface of the disposable diaper body and the respective front portions are folded away from the disposable diaper body. As a result, the first fastener member and the second fastener member become substantially in the shape of the letter S. In this conventional disposable diaper, the sides of the hip portion and the belly portion are sufficiently overlapped to engage the first fastener member and the second fastener member, so that the disposable diaper body is formed in a stereoscopic shape.
In the foregoing conventional arts, the spread-out type disposable diaper cannot be worn while the wearer is standing. The wearer has to be laid to put the diaper on, which is laborious and also requires a space enough to lay the wearer down. Therefore, it is quite inconvenient at the time of going outside. The pants-shaped disposable diaper is designed such that the wearer can put it on, as the wearer is standing. However, the wearer inserts his legs into leg-through holes from the inside to the outside of the diaper, so it is difficult to put it on with shoes on.
On the other hand, according to the disposable diaper disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2525779, when the first fastener member and the second fastener member are engaged, it is necessary to engage the sides of the hip portion and the belly portion after pulling them up sufficiently till the first fastener member pass over the second fastener member. Therefore, force is needed and it gives a feeling of pressing to the wearer. Further, it is hard to attach the fastener members and to put on.
The present invention provides a disposable diaper including a diaper body having a hip portion and a belly portion, which are spread out with a crotch portion between them, a male member which is in the shape of thin plate and which are protrusively arranged on side portions of one of the hip portion and the belly portion, and a female member which is relatively thin and arranged on side portions of the other. And the female members are engaged with the male members in the direction of the surfaces of the side portions. Preferably, the female members are provided with receiving portions, in which the male members are inserted in parallel to a face of the side portions. Engaged surfaces engaging with engaging surfaces of the male member are formed in inner walls of the receiving portion.
Preferably, the engaging surfaces are inner end faces of projecting portions projecting from upper and lower inner surfaces of the receiving portion.
Also preferably, the female members are provided with the receiving portions in which the male members are inserted. The engaged surfaces are formed on the inner walls of the receiving portions, being opposed with respect to the direction that the male members are inserted and being alternately arranged along the direction that the male members are inserted. The male members are provided with the engaging surfaces, which are opposed to the engaged surfaces.
With the disposable diaper of the present invention, the both side portions of the hip portion and the side portions of the belly portion are positioned at the outside of the wearer""s legs so that the male members are inserted into the female members to be engaged each other. Accordingly, the engaging surfaces of the male members come in contact with the engaged surfaces of the female members to be engaged each other, so that the male members and the female members are connected. Therefore, the disposable diaper of the present invention can be formed in a stereoscopic shape for use. In this state, it is possible to pull up the disposable diaper to the wearer""s waist.